The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-11-08
ABOUT IMMIGRATION.

EDITOR BULLETIN Your edito-
rial upon the immigration policy of
the future in Saturdays issue, calls
for some little comment. In the
main perhaps there is not much
fault to find with it outside the fact
that it seems to ignore the import
ance of the planting interests, and
loses sight of the economic condi-
tons of the country. 1t certainly
is sound policy to build up an in
dustrial population, but in doing so
the immediate wants of the planters
for labor cannot be ignored with
any degree of safety. This, how
ever, is precisely what you contend
should be done. Your theory is
correct and might be acted upon if
this were new country where a
fair start could be made, but that is
not the case. There is no cheap
land upon which to settle an indus
trial population as suggested; and
no possible chance of building up
the country by voluntary immigra-
ton attracted by "cheap homes,
fertile lands, pleasant surroundings
and a healthful climate" 1t is
simply absurd to think such thing
possible. There is very little avail
able fertile land, and not an acre of
it is cheap. That is what is driving
out the Portuguese and white men
who otherwise would make homes,
and this condition cannot now be
changed.
You say that "the policy of the
Hawaiian Government with regard
to assisted immigration should be
dictated by considerations of the
future good of the country, and not
by the immediate interests of any
one class" But what meanwhile
are you going to do about those
immediate interests?" Are you
going to sacrifice them to an idea?
If so, a cardinal error will be COM
mitted. As matter of fact the
country exists only, for economic
purposes, by and through the plant
ing interests; destroy or seriously
cripple the planters and what be-
comes of the country? 1t will col
lapse without doubt, and remain
only as diplomatic expression.
Surely that is not your purpose, yet
it appears to me to be the practical
effect of your immigration policy.
You can easily satisfy yourself
upon this point. Inquiries will show
that there is hardly a plantation on
these islands that is not short of
labor or liable TO be so at almost
any moment. A combination among
the free laborers could not well be
met by planters, who are now pay
ing an average of So per month
more than they were two years ago
when the sugar outlook was better
than it is to-day or is likely to be
soon again. The average pay of
Chinese fields hand throughout the
Islands is $40 per month; Portu-
guese labor comes about So to So
higher. This is largely in excess
of what the plantations can fairly
afford to pay, and is far more than
is paid for labor in competing sugar
producing countries. Yet you say,
in the face of these facts, that the
sooner the contract labor system is
broken down the better, and that
the Government should not assist
the planters with cheap labor be-
cause it fails to meet certain theore-
teal conditions as to permanent in
dustrial settlement. In this I think
you err, and are unconscously in
juring the one class of all others
who are the stay and substance of
the country.
| am not prepared to say how far
Minister Browns immigration bill
meets the case. Its policy appears
to be pointed to the restriction of
Chinese labor immigration. For
reasons already stated this is of
questionable utility. japanese I'M
migration has not been sufficiently
tested to enable one to form de-
cided opinion, but Chinese labor
has been tested and found, on the
whole, to meet the requirements of
planters. The Portuguese are an
admirable element if they remain in
the country, but they appear in
clined to drift off to the Coast
where they find those conditions
which they do not find here, namely,
"cheap homes, fertile lands and
pleasant surroundings" with eli
mate as healthful as is to be en-
joyed anywhere on these Islands.
Under these circumstances l submit
that it would be unwise to ignore
The immediate wants of the planters
in any scheme of Government immi-
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